LMS Route: Birmingham - Soho Road - Perry Barr - Birmingham

Soho Road Station

Soho Road station opened at the same time as the relief loop line to Walsall via Perry Barr on 1st April 1889. The LNWR had built this new stretch of line to provide relief to the traffic entering New Street via the old Grand Junction Railway route. It was primarily envisaged for goods traffic, especially for servicing the coal mines around Perry Barr and Great Barr (Hamstead). The two passenger stations on the line, Soho Road from the outset and Handsworth Wood from 1st January 1896, were in competition with the GWR's more direct route between Wolverhampton and Birmingham. Consequently with the commencement of the Second World War, which required the railways to be efficient with scarce resources and labour, the two stations were closed in 1941 never to re-open although the route remains open to this day.

Soho station consisted of a three storey building sited between the up and down lines with the third floor facing out on to Soho Road. The ground floor had doors set below the platform level as can be seen from the remains of the station in image 'lnwrsohord1517' and 'lnwrsohord3422' The platforms were also located between the two running lines creating an island structure requiring just one set of stairs from the three storey station building. The 1912 Ordnance Survey map shows the island platform having a structure accommodating one probably two waiting rooms with canopies reaching out both sides to the full width of the island platform. The Railway Clearing House's Handbook of Railway Stations records that the station served only passengers with a parcels facility as Soho Pool Wharf provided the goods facilities for the area.

Ref: lnwrsohordrd4158 RS Carpenter Looking along the station's up platform towards Perry Barr with the single line to Soho Wharf Pool on the right

Ref: lnwrsohordrd4158a RS Carpenter Close up of the buildings located on the platform which housed the passenger waiting rooms and toilets and station offices

Ref: lnwrsohord1517 DJ Norton Looking towards Perry Barr on 1st June 1962 from the site of the former station's island platform

Ref: lnwrsohord3422 J Alsop An oblique view of the main station building showing how the third floor faced on to Soho Road

Ref: lnwrsohord3423 J Alsop Looking along the down line on 3rd October 1965 towards Walsall with the line to Soho Pool Wharf seen on the right

Ref: lnwrsohord1518 DJ Norton Looking along the up line towards Perry Barr beneath the bridge which carried Soho Road over the railway

Ref: lnwrsohord3743 AE Teague Soho Road Station platform and sign can be seen in the background to this photograph taken in 1898

Ref: lnwrsohord1519 DJ Norton Looking towards the site of the former station with the remains of the booking office just visible on the left

Ref: lnwrsohord1519a DJ Norton Close up showing on the right part of the single freight only branch line to Soho Pool goods station

Ref: lnwrsohord3424 J Alsop Looking towards Winson Green junction with the single line to Soho Wharf Pool falling away to the left

Ref: lnwrsohordrd1521 Anon An unidentified LNWR 4-4-0 Precursor class locomotive stands at the station whilst at the head of a local service

Ref: lnwrsohord3418 National Library of Scotland A 1912 OS map of Soho Road station showing the station was constructed to the south of Soho Road

Ref: lnwrsohord3747 National Library of Scotland A 1912 OS map showing the single line to Soho Wharf and the siding leading to Handsworth Power Station

Ref: lnwrsohord3748 National Library of Scotland A 1912 Ordnance Survey map showing Soho Road station and, on the right, Handsworth Power Station

Ref: lnwrsohord2279 DJ Norton Map showing the location of Soho Road station in relation to the GWR's Soho & Winson Green station